RIVER FOREST, Ill. –
Cy Lumbano-Larson (
Jr.-San Tan Valley, Ariz.) threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns in his first collegiate start but Lakeland University came up short in a 43-34 loss to Concordia University Chicago Saturday afternoon.
The Muskies stayed in the game with big plays offensively but were unable to complete the comeback after cutting a 17-point third quarter deficit down to three points in the fourth quarter. Lakeland dropped to 2-5 overall and is 1-4 after its fourth straight loss in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
Lumbano-Larson threw touchdown passes of 29, 7 and 41 yards to
Caleb Besaw (
Sr.-Conroe, Texas), his favorite receiver on the day who caught seven passes for 140 yards. The Lakeland quarterback also threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to
Braylon Reece (
So.-Conroe, Texas) with 14 minutes, 14 seconds left in the game to get the Muskies within 37-34.
Concordia Chicago (4-2 overall, 2-2 NACC) rolled up 510 yards of offense on the day, though, including Joron Brown rushing 49 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars, helping the hosts hold the ball for nearly 39 minutes time of possession. Brown's 32-yard run capped an eight-play, 68-yard drive that took 5:13 and allowed CUC to stretch the lead back out to 43-34.
Lakeland had two more possessions but gained a net of just 12 yards over two chances. The first started at the Concordia 48 after a 42-yard kickoff return by
Octavis Cherry (
Sr.-Milwaukee, Wis.), and an 18-yard pass from Lumbano-Larson to
Demarion Johnson (
So.-Chicago Ridge, Ill.) plus a pass interference penalty moved the Muskies to the CUC 22. A false start and a sack ended up stopping the drive, and a last drive starting inside two minutes netted just one yard and ended on downs.
Lakeland scored first in the game, taking the opening drive 76 yards in 12 plays and finishing with a 1-yard run by
Jontae Lambert (
So.-Fort Wayne, Ind.). The Cougars answered with a score later in the quarter, but the Muskies came right back on the next drive, with Lumbano-Larson's 29-yard touchdown pass to Besaw giving Lakeland a 13-6 lead.
Concordia Chicago took control of the game, though, by scoring on its next three drives. Colton Bosch hit Kevon Lawson for a 30-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 13-13, and then a pair of Muskies drives ending on downs resulted in two short touchdown runs by Brown to give the Cougars a 27-13 lead.
Lumbano-Larson completed 17 of 32 passes, with Johnson also catching three passes for 57 yards. Lambert rushed 17 times for 57 yards to lead the Lakeland rushers. The Muskies finished with 390 yards of offense but converted 4 of 12 third downs and just 1 of 6 fourth down tries.
Trayvonne Roberts (
Sr.-Lynwood, Ill.) led the defense with 16 tackles (five solo, 11 assisted).
Robert Brown (
So.-Detroit, Mich.) added 12 tackles (three solo, nine assisted) and
Giovanni Merriweather (
Jr.-Machesney Park, Ill.) posted 11 tackles (three solo, eight assisted) including 3.5 tackles for loss.
Bosch completed 15 of 20 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns for Concordia. Lawson caught five passes for 118 yards and two scores.
The Muskies are back home this coming Saturday to face Eureka College for Senior Day with a noon kickoff at John Taylor Memorial Field.
